Storage-tank.



J'. f. ULLMAN.

TANK.

ST O H A G F Patented De@ 19, 1.9i

APPLlUA'lION FILED N0 V.

LBO.

J'. A.. ULLMAN.

STORAGE TANK.

APPLIGATIUN FILED NovA 10.1909.

LS, Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

2 SHEBTS--SHEET UNlTEl) STATES PATENT @FFM/lill..

JAMES A. ULLMAN, OF NEW YQRK, N. Y.

STORAGE-TANK.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. iti, Milli.

Application filed November 16, 1909. Serial No. 528,327.

To all whom 'it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMES A. ULLMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storageflanks, ot which the following 1s a specification. t

My invention relates to improvements in storage tanks, and is designed particularly for use in connection with the fuel tanks of automobiles, motor boats, etc.

The invention will be described in its application to the gasolene tank of an automobile, but it will be understood that this is only one ot' its manyuses and that it may be employed wherever found practicable or desirable.

The fuel storage tanks of automobiles are usually placed in a more or less inaccessible position. i301' that reason the driver is sel dom aware of the amount of fuel in the tank and is therefore liable to run short of fuel at any moment, withoutwarning.

My .invention aims to give warning of any scarcity in the fuel supply, and further to provide a reserve supply ot' fuel, which is available for use after the main supply has become exhausted.

To this end the invention consists broadly in providing means for holding in check a certain quantityl of the liquid in the tank, together with means adapted to be actuated to render this so-called reserve supply available for use. By such means as these, when the main supply is exhausted or nearly so, warning of this scarcity is given by means of the stoppage ot' the flow of the liquid. The reserve supply then becomes available until a further supply can be secured. Devices aiming to accomplish these results have `been used heretofore, but, 'in so far as l am aware, each of these prior devices depends for their operation upon certain additional compartments or reservoirs adapted to contain the reserve supply.

Another one of the objects ot' my invention is to accomplish the results intended, without the use of any additional reservoirs or compartments other than the storage tank A itself.

The means for carrying out the invention may vary widely and may be combined with the storage tank in various different relations. Also the invention is adapted to either a rravit s stem 7 Where the flow is due' to the force oi gravity, or to a pressure system wherein a certain pressure is maintained to cause the llow.

In a preferred form o l the invention, I provide certain outlet eonnectimis :troni the tank so arranged that the liquid will flow freely until a certain level ot' the liquid in the tank is reached, and will thereafter automatically` cease to flow, whereby a certain quantity in the bottoni ol the tank is held in reserve, and l. further provide means, such as a valve or valves, which when operated will permit the use ot the reserve supply thus created. lhe amount oi' luel held in reserve would oit' course be varied to suit` ditl'erent conditions and requirements.

ln one ot' its preferred Jliorins, the invention consists specifically ot' a direct outlet leading,f from the storage tank, a normally closed valve located in this.. direct outlet and a. bypass extending` around said valve und. rising to a point higher than the bottoni of the tank. This bypass permits the fuel to tlow around the valve until the liuuidin the tank is on a level with the top ol' the bypass. The stoppage ol the Ilow ,gives warning to the operator of the scarcity oli 'l'uel and'the valve, is then opened to permit the liquid constituting the reserve supply to flow through the direct outlet. 'lf he operator then knowing,r just how tar the reserve supplv wlll last, can proceed to the nearest point (if supply. ln order that thisl solcnlled bypass shall not act in the capacity ot a siphhn to drain the tank, l prciwahly provide the bvpass with a vent. ln the case ot the priissure system, the vent may open into the top ot' the tank, whereas in the gravity system, the vent may open direct to the atnmsphere. In Athis latter case, in order to prevent any loss of vtucl throiuih the vent, l muy olevnth the same to a point on a level or above the highest level oi the liquid in the tank or reservoir.

To this end, another tentare oi' niv i1ivention, when'embodied iu a gravityt svs. tem, consists in providing a riser oi' ,stand pipe which is connected to the bypass and has a vont in .its upper rnd, .substantiallv ou a level with the top ot the tank. 'i

Still another 'feature of my invention consists in utilizing thisriser or stand pipe as a gage to indicate the level ot' liquid in the tank. This would preferably be accomplished by making the stond pipe in the forni of a gage glass. This feature could lbe applied to either the gravity or pressure v invention, but `various modifications and outlet is adapted to changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, "L

ln the drawings: Figure l is a partly sectional view of a preferred form of the' invention.v Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken detail view showing the manner in ,which the stand pipe may be utilized as a gage. Fig. 3 is a similar View of a slightly modi fied forni of the invention. Fig. l is a sectional view illustrating another form of the invention. Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the adaptation of the invention to a pressure system.

Like reference characters denote like parts throughout the several views. I

Referring first to Fig. lzthe fuel tank l is of any desired size and shape, and connected to the lower portion thereof, preferably the bottoni as shown, there is provided a direct outlet 2, which by means of an ein tension or-feed pipe ,-3, leads to the engine or other source of consumption. This direct be closed, as by means of the valve 4l, and connected to the outlet pipe at a point of connection with the tank, there is provided a bypass 6, which rises to a point 7, above or higher than the level of the bottom of the tank. The valve in the eutlet pipe is normally closed so that the liquid wi'll rstflow around the valve, through the bypass 'and the extension 3, to the engine or other device. tank reaches the level of the top of the bypass, then the dow ceases, thereby giving warning to the operator that the liquid in the storage tank has been lowered to thereserve level. To enable the use of the reserve supply, vthen becomes necessary to open the. valve. V fWhen said valve is opened, the fuel. flows uninterruptedly through the direct .outlet and extension to the engine. In orderol prevent the bypass from acting as a siplnm; a vent 8, whi h in the-.case of a gravity sys tem is conveniently inthe forni of an opening inthe topv of the stand pipe 9. This 'stand lpipe @extends approximately to a point as high as the top of the tank so 'that -thev vent shall be higher than the highest level'of the liquid in the tank, thereby preventing any leakage of the fuel through the vent. l prefer also t6 utilize the stand pipe as. a gage -or indicator for the level of the liquid in thetank, and for this reason. l prefer to make the stand pipe in the form of a 'glass tube l0',

point between said valve andthe- When the liquid -in the'.

it is provided with the stand which for protective purposes Loiacco be inclosed ina metallic sleeve 1l, as shown in F ig. 2, and visible through a slot l2, in the wall of said sleeve. ln this form, the vent would be formed in a cap 13, closing the end of the tube. This gage glass is of particular value, for if the engine should stop for any unaccountable reason, a glance at the gage glass will indicate whetherthe fuel has been lowered to the reserve level, and the operator will therefore be informed at once of the necessity for vopening the valve to permit the use of the reserve store of fuel.

The invention is capable of many modifications, one of which is shown in Fig. 3. llere the direct outlet leads'from the bottoni. of the tanln'bnt in this case the bypass connects directly with the tank at a point la, above the bottom of the tank. This form of the device is similarY in action to that shown in Fig. l and it is somewhat simpler than the first form.

Still another form of the invention is illustrated in Fig. l. ln this case the'outlet pipe l5 is provided with a socket 16, in which is removably seated the lower end of a gage tube l?. At a point above the bottom of the tank this tube is provided with a number' of openings 18. The flow of the liquid is normally through said openings 18,`

down through the tube and out the feed pipe. llllheii the liquid reaches the level of these outlet openings, the flow ceases, there by giving warning of the exhaustion of the main supply of fuel. T he tube is then lifted from its seat in the mouth of the outlet pipe, thereby permitting the use of the reserve supply, of fluid. The gage tube may be eitherlivhtilly removed, hole opening in the top of the tank, or there niay be provided a screw thread connection 22 between the tube and the top of the tank, whereby a simple turning movement of the tube will cause it to be lifted from its seat. The openings in the tube may be utilized as a strainer, and for this purpose the tube may be enlarged or swelled at this point, substantially as shown.

as by way of a hand- Tn ,h ig. 5 is shown one method by which the invention maybe used with a pressure system. rlhe forni shown diifers from that of llig. l, only in that instead of being open to the air, the vent 'opens into `Vthe top of the tank. rlhis may be done by providing the stand pipe with anlextension 19, opening into the top of the tank, at the point 20. The air pressure may be supplied. by an air pump 2l. lhen the liquid in the tank at a higher level rthan the top of the bypass, for instance at the level X, then the liquid will stand ata corresponding level in creating a flow around the bypass and pipe, at the same time that the -air pressure on the top of the liquid is.

through the top of the stand pipe is equalized by the pressure on the main body oi liquid and the liquid will stand in the stand pipe approximately on a level with that in the tank. As soon, however, as the liquid in the tank falls to a level below the top of the bypass, as to the level Y, the pressure in the stand pipe forces all the liquid`out of the stand pipe and an escape is therefore open to the air pressure by way of the stand pipe and feed pipe, and the flow by way of the bypass ceases. The valve is then opened and as the liquid fills the pipes, the escape by way ot' the stand pipe is cut oli and the pressure becomes eil'eetive to force the remainder ot' the liquid out through the feed pipe. A[t will be obvious that the stand pipe may be utilized as a gage, also with this form of the invention.

What is claimed, is: 1. The combination of a tank and a feed pipe leading therefrom, a valve in the feed pipe, a bypass connected with the feed pipe, leading around the valve in the feed pipe and located wholly on the outside of the tank, said bypass rising to apoint above the bottom of the tank, the, valve aforesaid eontrolling the passage ot" liquid through the feed pipe, and a transparent stand pipe connected with the bypass serving as a gage for the liquid in the tank.

Q. The combination of a tank and a i'eed pipe leading; therefrom, a valve in the feed pipe.` a bypass connected with the feed pipe, leading around the valve in the feed pipe and located wholly on the outside of' the tank, said bypass risinpy to a point; above the bottom ot the tank, the val ve aforesaid eontrolling passage through the feed pipe, and a transparent stand pipe (,'ouneeted with the bypass serving as a ,trage l'or the liquid in the tank, said stand pipe extending substantially tov the level o'l the top of the tank and provided with a vent in its upper end. y

i. ln combination, a storage tank, a ieed pipe t'onneoted with the lower portion ot" the tank, a, valve in the feed pipe, and a bypass eonurettal with said i'eed pipe leading around the valve in the 'feed pipe, the said bypass being loeated wholly without the tank and rising;l ou the outside oi the tank to a point above the level o'l the bottom o'l' the tank.

Signed at New York in the county ot New York and State ol New York this eighth day of November A. l). 1,909.

JAMES A. '[l'L'l'ill'lAN.

lVitnesses L. il. FREUND, O'rro Turnus. 

